The U.S. has two wins from two to 2021, with a few debut scorers scoring the first and final goal of the game
The U.S. women’s team easily defeated Colombia 6-0 in Orlando on Friday night, after a 4-0 victory over the same opponent on Monday.
The few matches ended the team’s January camp, with a USWNT, who were mostly strong, trying to impress head coach Vlatko Andonovski ahead of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo (should the tournament continue).
Here are three of the biggest takeaways from Friday’s game at Exploria Stadium.
Catarina Macario scores first USWNT goal
This week saw the USWNT debut of Catarina Macario, who is in all likelihood ready to be the team’s next big star. The Brazilian-born striker, who recently signed with European power Lyon, directly from Stanford University, scored her first cap on Monday before scoring her first national team in the third minute on Friday.
“Cat is a different kind of player than I think we ever had. She’s a different No. 9 than we ever had,” Megan Rapinoe said of the 21-year-old after Friday’s game. ‘She falls in a little more, playing more like a false nine.
‘Physically she’s already ready to be at this level, and it’s a big leap for many people to go from university to this level to be able to compete physically.
“She’s going to be one of the fun players you’d love to see – someone who will excite fans, someone who comes up with something creative or a nutmeg.”
Sam Mewis goes out injured
The USA got a big shock when Sam Mewis clashed with a Colombian defender in the second half. The Man City midfielder apparently had a lot of pain on the field after her left ankle rolled under her. She was able to walk slowly off the field on her own before being seen on the bench with ice around her ankle.
Mewis was in star form for the USWNT and Man City. Rapinoe called her ‘the best player in our team’ after the game, so it’s an important issue for club and country.
Andonovski said Mewis would be examined after the match, adding that her high pain threshold made it difficult to immediately determine her prognosis.
“She is very strong and very tough,” the USWNT coach said. ‘When we first asked [how she was] she said, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ but we do all the exams and follow all the protocol to make sure she’s well.
“She is tough and we do not know what ‘good’ means in her world. We will soon know how she feels.”
Crystal Dunn and Midge Purce in attack
Crystal Dunn and Midge Purce are both natural attackers defended with the USWNT. Dunn in particular switched from a dynamic attacking midfielder to a rock-solid left wing who played during the USWNT’s run-up to the 2019 World Cup.
Fans said both players should get a chance to attack for the U.S., and Andonovski said Friday night. Purce in particular grabbed the upsets by scoring her first USWNT goal with a header from Carli Lloyd’s cross in the 86th minute.
“We know Midge is a good forward,” Andonovski said of a player who was mostly used as a right-back on the national team.
“Of course we’ve seen something in her that can help us become a good fullback, and we’ll continue to work as we go forward. But if we need a forward, she’s obviously good enough and she has showed that she’s doing a good job there. ‘
About Dunn, he added: “Crystal should be the most versatile player on the field. I literally feel comfortable placing Crystal in any position on the field and I know she’s going to meet the standard set.”